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Heavy Seas Cabernet Barrel Aged Below Decks
- Heavy Seas Beer
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BA SCORE
88
good
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125 Ratings
THE BROS
N/A
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rAvg: 3.92
pDev: 12.76%
Reviews: 78
Hads: 47
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Heavy Seas Beer
Maryland
,
United States
Style | ABV
English Barleywine
| 10.00%
ABV
Availability:
Rotating.
bottle (75)
,
on-tap (2)
,
cask (1)
.
Notes:
No notes at this time.
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TheManiacalOne
Rhode Island
4.33
/5
rDev
+10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On-tap 1/10/2012 at Track 84 in Warwick, RI, served in a tulip glass.
A: The beer is a deep dark reddish brown color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.
S: The aroma contains brown sugar, dark fruit, chocolate, caramelized malts and some hops.
T: The taste is very creamy and starts with strongly sweet flavors of milk chocolate, dark fruit and brown sugar. Then a hearty malt character comes in and the wine flavor is quite evident. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings a good balance. The after-taste is sweet.
M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is sticky.
O: Very tasty, goes down dangerously easily, not too filling, strong kick, good representation of style, this is a nice stronger beer to drink for a while.
Serving type: on-tap
01-15-2012 23:52:11 |
More by TheManiacalOne
Cylinsier
Pennsylvania
4.2
/5
rDev
+7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark reddish brown, mostly opaque.
Smells of caramel and brown sugar malts, hints of dark fruit.
Taste is stout-like in ways, but the wine barrel flavor comes through adding a fruitiness. Buttery malt flavors round out the taste.
Full mouth, minimal carbonation.
A real treat, powerful but decadent. Not something to have a lot of, should be treated like a scotch or a bourbon. But very enjoyable.
Serving type: on-tap
01-09-2011 00:52:03 |
More by Cylinsier
Vonerichs
Illinois
3.83
/5
rDev
-2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Murky brown with a reddish tinge. The head is fizzy and subsides in a hurry.
Interesting smell of concord grape juice, brown sugar, and prunes. The cabernet barrels add a nice touch.
The cabernet barrel contributes a nice touch of grapes but I wanted more of a tannic quality and it turns out more sweet. Anyway, it's still a nice touch. The finish is a brown sugar with a slightly dirty sweet potato-ish flavor. Slightly boozy, but not to shabby for 10%.
Mouthfeel is heavy bodied and has ample carbonation.
I liked this beer. From what I read in reviews of the base beer, that one's not that impressive. I thought the cabernet barrels added a nice touch to the barleywine and would be curious to see what it'd do with an acclaimed base.
Serving type: bottle
05-03-2013 01:43:21 |
More by Vonerichs
crewfan16
Minnesota
3.6
/5
rDev
-8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
2012 vintage. poured from a 22 oz bomber. thanks again to runner440 for some successful trading. been looking to crack this for a while now but no one wanted to share so i said to hell with it and decided to try it by myself. i have high expectations seeing as I think red wine barrels would work nicely with barleywine flavors.
a- pours a very dark black/ruby with a thin layer or off-white head that doesnt last very long. really dark for a barleywine, almost looks like a stout or porter
s- stone fruit, maybe like a cherry or plum, chocolate, oak, molasses, a bit of hop presense. not much cabernet character, maybe the slightest hint of some tanic grape quality
t- there is some wine quality. a slight stone fruit tartness, followed by a bit of hops, more molasses and brown sugar sweetness, oak, finishes with some cherry and a bit of chocolate. as it warms a bit more oaky wine-type flavors emerge, but nothing strong at all. a complex barleywine, but still strikes me as a bit strange for some reason that i cant quite pin down.
m- for how sweet this is, it doesnt have that sticky thick quality that some barleywines have. it actually seems a bit on the thin side. for 10% abv it is not noticeable. very drinkable barrel aged barleywine
overall, i have mixed feelings about this beer. the barrel characteristics are not heavy handed and are not terribly noticeable. Having had the base beer, i cant exactly say that the cabernet barrels improved it. a tasty beer, but as far as barrel aged barleywines go, there are others out there that I can get much easier. im glad to have some more to age a bit, but overall, it didnt meet my expecations.
Serving type: bottle
04-15-2013 03:50:01 |
More by crewfan16
Mongrel
District of Columbia
4.1
/5
rDev
+4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Not at all what I was expecting with this one...
Upon pouring, it seems to be somewhat thin in body, as there is little head or lace. But it has body - the mouthfeel is soft but pretty heavy. Pours a very dark brown, almost purple.
The nose was a bit odd and nutty at first, but like most good barleywines, this one grows in complexity as it warms and opens up. Further along, the it smells very much of dark fruit.
Not much wine comes through per se, but it's very sweet and fruity. Although my first impression was straight caramel. Caramel, strawberry, dark fruits and hazelnut - sums this one up nicely. Very decadent. Hides it booze better than the bourbon barrel aged version, but you'll feel the warmth from the abv rather quickly.
A very nice surprise, overall. Great for dessert or sipping by a fire.
Serving type: bottle
04-07-2013 23:39:30 |
More by Mongrel
watsonmd
Georgia
3.35
/5
rDev
-14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
served @ 55 F, bottle into snifter.
A: Dark, red brown, little head, no lacing.
S: Oak, brown sugar, not overpowering. Fruit, molasses?
T: Cabernet is very forward. Dark fruits, boozy, full on the tongue. Loose the barley wine characters in the barreling.
M: Dry, sides of the tongue, bitter lingering aftertaste. Much oak tannin lingers from the wine.
O: Different. Nice varietal, but not a go-to BW style wine. Will serve to my wine/cross over craft beer friends...
Serving type: bottle
03-30-2013 00:46:37 |
More by watsonmd
Gosox8787
New Hampshire
3.56
/5
rDev
-9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Presentation: 22 oz. bomber bottle chilled and poured into my Kate the Great tulip. Enjoyed on a cold, snowy night.
Appearance: Dark mahogany brown in color with some nice ruby highlights. Pours a one finger, medium brown head that sticks pretty well to the glass. Interestingly enough, this is slightly darker than most barleywines.
Aroma: Caramel, figs and more dark fruit. The red wine barrel character is pretty assertive and lends a really interesting red wne, grape quality. Some toasted bread and strong molasses character as well. Definitely some alcohol as well between the red adn the base beer but it isn't too heavy at all. Really interesting.
Taste: My first sip was almost completely cabernet. Tasted so much like wine that I almost had to do a double take. There is absolutely no mistaking the type of barrels used for this as they are front and center. The red wine gives off some fruitiness, a little heat and a bit of a dry finish. As this warms, the base beer becomes clearer and starts to come into view. Some nice caramel and dark fruit. Surprisingly light and drinkable. I don't think this base beer has quite enough flavor to hold up to the assertive barrel. A really interesting beer that is tasty, but it also has quite a few glaring flaws.
Mouthfeel: Lighter bodied than i would expect for a barleywine. The red wine from the barrels seems to give this a drier finish than normal for the style.
Overall, a really interesting beer with a strong barrel presence. The red wine notes dominate this at times and the base beer isn't quite strong enough to hold up to the wine barrels. Not a bad beer at all, but sometimes the wine is so strong, it takes over.
Serving type: bottle
01-29-2013 02:05:12 |
More by Gosox8787
tdm168
North Carolina
4.5
/5
rDev
+14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A - dark brownish amber with a thin white head
S - candy sugar, bread, dark fruit
T - caramel, dark fruit, candy sugar
M - smooth, full bodied, sticky, a bit dry
This is a very nice English-style Barleywine. It's exceptionally malty with a big though not cloying sugary present. The dark fruits come through as well. I couldn't put my finger on it, but raisins and figs and possibly dates all made their presence known. I do love a good Barleywine, and this one had it all: balance, hidden ABV, drinkability, maltiness, full flavor, and full body. This is definitely worth a try.
Serving type: bottle
01-19-2013 20:09:26 |
More by tdm168
brewdude1982
North Carolina
4.4
/5
rDev
+12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This was a bomber poured into a snifter.
This pours a dark amber and has a slight head. It smells like figs and malts. It tastes really sweet with figs and a little pineapple. It has a good body and decent carbonation. Great barleywine. I would recommend.
Serving type: bottle
01-12-2013 22:03:18 |
More by brewdude1982
smakawhat
Maryland
4.04
/5
rDev
+3.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from the bottle into a large snifter glass. Vintage 2012.
Really not much of a head produced at all, hits weak, but makes a little tan presence, and leaves a tiny pencil thin collar on the glass while enjoying. Body color is very cola like in presences with a faint red hint, but it does look like Coca Cola. However it is missing the soda giant carbonation, and this manages the thinnest bubbles around the edges.
Nose is quite varied, and different depending on first sniff and subsequent sips. However it's very sticky on first sip. Hints of toffee and caramel thick. Light oak sensations, vinous sense of wine heat, and hints of salt. Very varied and exploratory. After sips bring some vanilla and hints of soy sauce, and some grapey fruit character.
Very unexpected palate. The body shines with a real nice wine like feel, but with a smooth coating character. Malt backbone brings the depth though. Soy sauce salty character comes out a bit but also with a little sweetness. Aftertaste is varied in vanilla, and the caramel and toffee angle comes throughout. Mouthfeel is very light, lowly carbonated, not taking away from anything taste wise.
Overall there's a lot going on here, but it's quite enjoyable, and not too out of balance. It's a very unique barleywine to explore, but it may not be to ultimate tastes. I said a lot, and there's quite a bit to investigate. Also for 10% it is not very boozy, and very easy drinking. I am also not sure how well this would age. Drinking it now doesn't hurt.
Serving type: bottle
01-09-2013 02:39:21 |
More by smakawhat
schoolboy
Ohio
4
/5
rDev
+2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is a serious barleywine and I should have aged it, but I am drinking it as-is (2012 vintage). As soon as you pour it there is an aroma that is thick and sweet. It is a very dark translucent reddish brown in the glass with a thin head. The aroma warns of the sweetness to come and the taste delivers.
It is thick and sweet as expected, with a hint of the barrel aged grapey sweetness. It seems as though I should be drinking this from some sort of wine glass instead of the pint glass I chose. The complexity hides the booze to some extent. This is a very satisfying barleywine.
The aftertaste similarly is sweet but boozy. The wine barrel taste lingers on the tongue. As with other Heavy Seas barleywines, this is one I would buy again. The bomber is a perfect vehicle for this.
Serving type: bottle
01-06-2013 20:01:40 |
More by schoolboy
cindyjeffsmith
Georgia
4.05
/5
rDev
+3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance: deep burgundy. Sight off white head. Handsome brew.
Smell: quite intense. The wine is front and center with a strong vanilla, oak foundation. I much prefer bourbon in most cases but this is very interesting.
Taste: not as full and rich as the nose but the Cabernet is again, front and center.
Overall: this one has more depth than prev below decks.
Serving type: bottle
01-04-2013 00:36:53 |
More by cindyjeffsmith
FosterJM
California
3.35
/5
rDev
-14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
1672nd Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
22oz
2010 Release
Split with my brother in law
Side by side by side with Bourbon/Cabernet
App- This was the color of a barleywine. A good and deep mahogany and tinged with red/browns. A bit of a cordial looking beer. A lighter center. Bubbles towards a 1/2" Had zero cling like the base beer.
Smell- This retained a faint note of the base barleywine and instead was more like a pure cabernet or more wine like than what I would say should be. Tannic, oaky, dark fruits and a bit of sweetness. Booze is very tame.
Taste- This was a pretty good barleywine. This was fairly sweet from the wine. A bit of sugars and booze. A good amount of malts on this one with a good amount of tannic flavors and a bit old.
Mouth- A lighter medium body with a creamy wine like flat carbonation. A couple bubbles danced but that was about it. The remaining flavors are of the oak and the wine. Not really picking up the maltiness or the citrus.
Drink- I think this was the least of the 3. The wine didnt do enough to layer but dominated. I liked that we did all 3 side by side. Its a nice beer, but not great. Probably wouldnt trade for this bottle again.
Serving type: bottle
12-28-2012 18:41:50 |
More by FosterJM
bluejacket74
Ohio
4.2
/5
rDev
+7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 ounce bottle, 2011 vintage. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a murky reddish/brown color with about an inch tan head. Head retention is good, and there's a small amount of lacing. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like red wine, dark fruit, molasses, caramel, brown sugar and some wood. It tastes like red wine/grapes, dark fruit (figs, raisins, plums), molasses, caramel, toffee, and a little bit of chocolate. I thought it tasted better and better the longer I drank it. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's syrupy and slick with moderate carbonation. I think this is a good overall brew, and it's better than the regular Below Decks (I just had a bottle of it before I drank this one). The cabernet barrel aging works well with this brew and makes it better. Definitely worth a try if you come across it.
Serving type: bottle
12-09-2012 23:41:06 |
More by bluejacket74
bensbeers
Maryland
3.35
/5
rDev
-14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 22 oz. bomber into a wine glass.
This is an interesting looking beer, almost resembling mud when poured out. Had a small head that did not last more than 10 seconds. Smell immediately reminds me of red wine (as expected), chocolate - Tootsie rolls to be exact - as well as toffee, apple and a hint of coconut. Taste is bizarre, yet still enjoyable. First thing I noticed is the cabernet, followed by the caramelly malts. Did not taste one bit of hops. High alcohol content definitely shows in the taste, due to the wine barrel-aging, in my opinion. Wine was a bit overpowering and masked the other attributes of the actual beer. Mouthfeel is actually quite nice. I was expecting it to be smooth and dull like a stout, but it was lightly carbonated and left behind a fruity, oaky flavor on the tongue.
Overall, I really enjoyed the complexity that this brew offered on the nose and tastebuds. I have only tried this style of beer once or twice before, and I think this is a nice interpretation. The wine barrel aging definitely throws a curveball - unlike anything I have ever tasted before, but again it's overpowering. Probably will not try again, but no regrets. Cheers
Serving type: bottle
09-27-2012 01:21:50 |
More by bensbeers
the38raven
Virginia
3.93
/5
rDev
+0.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into white wine glass from bomber. Stored about a month after purchase.
A: Poured a hazy, muddy brown. Mostly opaque and oddly dull-looking. Thin, quickly fading white head.
S: A lot of wine/grape, with an underlying note of chocolate.
T: About the same. Wine and chocolate, with a distinct bit of alcohol. Some astringency at the tail end that lingers a while.
M: Slick, oily, medium thickness. Not a whole lot of carbonation.
O: Very interesting brew -- seems to be halfway between beer and wine. I like the fruitiness imparted by the cabernet barrels. Makes this into something I would almost call a "dessert beer."
Serving type: bottle
03-29-2012 21:53:21 |
More by the38raven
ChadQuest
Illinois
2.48
/5
rDev
-36.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
This one is a gusher after opening. Fair warning.
dark ruby red/brown body with a thin cap that fades out into some continent looking bubbles.
The aroma is on the dark fruit side of the spectrum, sweet smelling, with a hint of alcohol.
Taste wise it is jammy, dark fruit, and the cabernet barrels seem to have imparted their likeness into this one. Some alcohol is present, grape, and oak tannins.
mouthfeel is smooth and low carbonation, medium body.
The cab barrels made this one interesting and unique, it was really cool to see what they did, but maybe not the best style to use them on.
Serving type: bottle
03-25-2012 00:17:51 |
More by ChadQuest
russwbeck
Virginia
3.48
/5
rDev
-11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: Clear brown out of the bottle, the beer rests a deep brown to black color with really only a teasing amount of head. The head rises up late in the game and disappears before you can really appreciate it, leaving behind no lacing.
S: The aroma is really nicely blended, but borders on too boozy. Deliciously sweet malts, sugar, and dark fruits. Certainly some hints from the barrel: oak, and maybe a light grape character.
T: The taste seems to be a strange mix of not enough barleywine and not enough from the barrel. Decreased sugary malts from the non-barrel aged version and some dark fruits mix with oak and far too much booze. Perhaps the wine barrels just didn't impart as much flavors as the bourbon barrel did. There's just not enough there.
MF: A bit thin on the body, and low on the carbonation. The finish was dry and boozy.
O: For all is faults I actually didn't mind this. The booze and wine characteristics are pretty interesting. I don't think it's a great beer, but I do like it.
Serving type: bottle
03-08-2012 23:34:01 |
More by russwbeck
argock
Virginia
3.68
/5
rDev
-6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 22oz brown bomber into a clear glass snifter. 2011 vintage. Purchased at Market Street Wineshop (Charlottesville, VA) for $7.99.
A: Dirty dark brown with scant cap of off-white head that leaves no lacing.
S: The malty aromas of brown sugar, caramel, and woody alcohol are dulled by the sharp, tannic, red grape character from the barrel.
T: The grape character lends a lot more dark fruity sweetness. The oak is also more present in the flavor. The alcohol is pretty well-hidden but does produce a sharp note to cut through the sweetness. The base barleywine brown sugar and caramel notes are again fuzzed out somewhat by the sweet fruitiness and oak character.
M: Lush but with a sharp bite of the tannic grape. Medium bodied with low carbonation makes it a bit of a chore to drink.
O: A unique beer with interesting vinous grape notes on a reasonably solid barleywine base. I think the wine character is too strong and provides too much fruitiness.
Serving type: bottle
03-06-2012 04:28:36 |
More by argock
pmarlowe
California
4.15
/5
rDev
+5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2011 vintage. Tulip glass.
A: Pours a dull, deep copper color, with rust around the rim, with a little greyish sand colored head, good retention and pretty and persistent swirls on the surface.
S: Lots of toffee, fruit (currant and cherry), some molasses, and in the secondary, oak, coconut, and sweetish red wine.
T: Caramel and red wine meld together tightly, supported by the wine barrel, the wine lending some subtle bright acidity. Slightly tannic on the finish, and very dry.
M: Light carbonation and medium-light body. Really light for a barleywine, which adds to the drinkability.
O: Really drinkable for a ba barleywine, and quite tasty, although the flavor is mild and not in-your-face. Doesn't show a single point of the 10% ABV; this feels like a session ba barleywine.
Serving type: bottle
03-06-2012 04:08:14 |
More by pmarlowe
zaphodchak
Virginia
4.28
/5
rDev
+9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thinnish offwhite head, murky red-brown body. A bit of lace. Head fizzles away like cola.
Smells like aged malt, some grape must, and a bit of shoe leather. Awesome.
This is definitely on par with the bourbon barrel version-- sweet and slightly tart grapes take the place of coconut, oak is sublime throughout. The toffee and malt backbone is phenomenal.
Nice and smooth, but kinda lingers on/coats the palate, but this is only a slight negative. Just drink water afterwards (which is a good policy anyway).
This ends up drinking like one of the best English style barleywines south of J.W. Lees. And a hell of a lot cheaper at that.
Serving type: bottle
02-03-2012 02:38:06 |
More by zaphodchak
VncentLIFE
North Carolina
4.22
/5
rDev
+7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Soda like fizzy head. Eggshell colored. Very opaque brown, near black body.
the smell is completely dominated by sweet caramelly dry grains. The aroma fills the room as soon as you take the cap off.
Oooo the flavor. milky caramel, sweet grains, and toffee. The nice part is the cabernet barrel. Not so oaky, but it adds to the body, giving it a full this mouth-filling body that flashes in somewhere in the middle. The grape flavor is mingled with the toffee and caramel.
Finishes clean for a barleywine. Chewy toffee lingers around, and the slight bitterness stays on the back of your tongue.
Serving type: bottle
01-30-2012 22:20:19 |
More by VncentLIFE
Kromes
Georgia
4.1
/5
rDev
+4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: A hazy dark brown with a thin tan colored head.
S: A big earthy and malty caramel aroma with lots of oak.
T: Starts very caramel and sweet and then fades to a nice vanilla and oak along with a sweet alcohol flavor and burn. The alcohol lingers in the finish.
M: Medium-heavy body with a good amount of carbonation.
O: I thought it was a good oak aged barleywine. Flavors are very nice and I think that additional aging would benefit the beer and help mellow out some of the sharp alcohol in the finish.
Serving type: bottle
01-28-2012 00:00:22 |
More by Kromes
VelvetExtract
Massachusetts
4.35
/5
rDev
+11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A-This beer pours a light-blocking brown. When held up to the light, there is only mild penetration. Despite an aggressive pour, the head is nothing more than a bubbly, disconnected peninsula of carbonate.
S-This is a very, very interesting nose. The majority of the nose represents the Barleywine aspect. This aspect of the beer is rich with molasses, brown sugar, and rich toffee maltiness. There is a hefty wave of warm chocolate too. But the other semi-substantial percentage of the nose is characterized by the Cabernet barrel aging. The aging lends an extremely pleasant vinous and earthen aroma dimension. I cannot tell if I am more intrigued or satisfied by the nose of this beer.
T-I may be equally as impressed by the actual flavor as I was by the nose. To me, this beer tastes like grape-flavored maple syrup. This has elements of: grape jam, brown sugar, toffee, tobacco, and tree bark. The Cabernet barrel aging really added a spectacular dimension to this beer. There are simply too many flavors to discuss. It is a bit rough around the edges, but I love the coarse finish of this beer.
M-Heavy body. Soothing carbonation. Alcohol is obvious. Sticky and syrupy. Dries the tongue.
O/D-This beer is very impressive. The Cabernet barrel aging added a shocking amount of complexity to this beer. Its a big, rough, yet deep brew. I suggest you try this beer. Under $7 dollars for a bomber too. The mixture of intense Barleywine sweetness and decorated vinous flavors make this beer an absolute gem.
Serving type: bottle
01-27-2012 04:46:54 |
More by VelvetExtract
ChainGangGuy
Georgia
4
/5
rDev
+2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 ounce bottle - $6.99 at Olde Crabapple Bottle Shoppe in
Alpharetta, Georgia. 2011 bottling.
Appearance: Pours out a dark brown body with a short-lived, light ecru head.
Smell: Tannic-scented, oak barrel-laden, sweet-scented, vinously fruity Cabernet nose over the charred bread and lightly toffee-edged malts.
Taste: Tart, tannic, fruity, and reasonably sweet with the Cabernet fully taking the lead ahead of the basic breadiness, lowly roasty from the malts. Modest inclusion of hops and bitterness. Small spiciness from the overall alcohol. Just vinous and sweet (but not quite too sweet) throughout and into the smooth finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Slightly sticky mouthfeel.
Overall: While not a grand slam home run cue-the-fireworks beer, it is a marked, appreciated improvement on the dreary base barleywine I had over five years ago. Sometimes, barrel aging actually brings down the initial beer, sometimes it's a toss-up, sometimes it can make a good beer even better, and, sometimes, it can even revive a real dud. Consider this dud revived, friends!
Serving type: bottle
01-26-2012 20:02:25 |
More by ChainGangGuy
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Heavy Seas Cabernet Barrel Aged Below Decks from Heavy Seas Beer
88
out of
100
based on
125
user ratings.
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